Screens, and how to Beat them

As an army that predominantly deep strikes, and (worse) needs to charge from those deep strikes to really deal damage, I hate screens! However, if I'm to do well at the GT, I need to work out how to beat them so I can deliver Thunder Hammers to the Emperors foes. 

To be clear, what I mean are units positioned to push back deep strikers, and units strung out in front important units, that force you to charge them first, before you can kill the stuff hiding behind them. For my army to work at it’s full potential, I need to get better at clearing screens.

Blood Angels List Review

My list for Dark Millenium was 

Blood Angles Battalion

Lemartes

Captain JumpSmash

5 Scouts

5 Scouts

5 Scouts

15 Death Company with 3 Thunder Hammers

Guard Brigade

Company Commander (the CP Miner)

Tempestor Prime

Tempestor Prime

5 Tempestor Scions, 2 Plasma Guns, 1 Plasma Pistol

5 Tempestor Scions, 2 Plasma Guns, 1 Plasma Pistol

5 Tempestor Scions, 2 Plasma Guns, 1 Plasma Pistol

5 Tempestor Scions, 2 Plasma Guns, 1 Plasma Pistol

5 Tempestor Scions, 2 Plasma Guns, 1 Plasma Pistol

5 Tempestor Scions, 2 Plasma Guns, 1 Plasma Pistol

Cyber Wolf 

Cyber Wolf

Cyber Wolf

Acolyte

Acolyte

Acolyte

Heavy Weapons Team, 3 Mortars

Heavy Weapons Team, 3 Mortars

Heavy Weapons Team, 3 Mortars

Supreme Command Detachment

Shield Captain, Dawneagle Jet Bike, Hurricane Bolter

Shield Captain, Dawneagle Jet Bike, Hurricane Bolter

Shield Captain, Dawneagle Jet Bike, Hurricane Bolter

Dark Millenium 5

This was the 4th time I’ve been to DM (missed last year’s event, which clashed with the LVO). The event has really hit its stride with 50 people attending (filling the venue), and having a waiting list. 

The Rules pack was quite unique, with primary and secondary missions, and Bonus Points for first blood, kill the warlord, line breaker and “last laugh) (i.e. the last person to kill something). The primary missions were recognisable, but the secondary maelstrom missions were bespoke for DM5. Your started with 20 maelstrom missions, of which you could achieve 2 per turn. They were all seperatly pointed (1-4), depending on how hard they were. There were 4 points for winning primary, 4 for secondary, and 4 bonus points.

Most people loved the rules pack, but I wasn’t a fan of the maelstrom mission. In practice games I found that having  20 missions you could choose from made things too complicated, slowing down the game as I thought about what I was going to achieve that turn. Ultimately I decided just to ignore the malestrom missions, and focus on the primary missions - if I scored any malestrom points it would be a bonus. 

So this was the list I took

Blood Angels

So, Blood Angels.

Long time followers of my blog (Hi Mum!!) will know I had a huge Blood Angels army back in 5th edition. Firstly I ran a full Jump Pack Descent of Angels army, and then a triple Stormraven army with added Dreadnoughts. However, at the end of 7th I sold all of it to finance my Genestealer Cult army. Kinda regret that now!!

Anyway - I love the new Codex, particularly the Strategems, which I think allow you to play the army like it should be played (fast and deadly!). And I need an army for the GT final (I would play Harlies if I thought the Codex would be out by then, but I doubt it). So, I’ve been furiously painting Blood Angels and trying to work out the best build. OK, maybe not the best build, but the best version of the build I want to play.

Games Workshop Heat 2

After a very long drive (in snow and ice!!) I’m back from Heat 2 of the GW GT. I went 3-1-1, and came 9th out of 86, with 4 “best army” votes and 4 “favourite game” votes. really pleased about that.

Usual format, brief battle reports, and then a wrap up at the end ..... and a shock announcement!! 

List for Heat 2 of the GW Grand Tournament

I’m paralysed with indecision.

I’ve boiled it down to 2 options for my list for the weekend, and I just can’t make up my mind. It’s a decision between a pure Harlies list to take advantage of our new Strategems, or adding in a Farseer and some Kabalites in Venoms to provide torrent of fire.

Rapid Fire Tournament report

Just back from Rapid Fire 2017, one of the longest running tournaments in Scotland, and one of the first tournaments I every went to about 10 years ago. Number were a little down at this event, but it was v2.0 of the event, the “main” Rapid Fire having taken place in October (I couldn’t make the date). It was hugely oversubscribed, so they decided to run another event a couple of months later. They had 34 at the first one, and 28 at this one. 

I was speaking to the TO, and he things they will do the same next year, but have one event more “fluffy” with some comp on army lists, with the other a little more “hard core”. Think that would work well. There is not a particularly deep pool of competitive players in Scotland, but those who are, are particularly competitive. Most people are casual players who just want to play toy soldiers with the friends over a couple of days. Often they “clash”, so having seperate events would I think work well.

Anyway, on with the bat reps

Harlequins in Chapter Approved

Chapter tactics made a bunch of changes, some of them pretty controversial. But for Harlies, it's most pretty good.

Points Changes

Death jester dropped in points......., OK, you’re still never going to see him!!

Rapid Fire list, Locked and Loaded

OK, next tournament is Rapid Fire weekend of 2nd and 3rd December.

This is one of the longest running 40k tournaments in Scotland and this will be about the 10th year I’ve been to it. It’s usually a great event.

Competition on the top tables is usually pretty fierce, with a bunch of Team Scotland’s ETC wannabes attending to gain qualification points for the team. From the player list there will be half a dozen or so former Team Scotland players attending. However, mid tables are usually pretty laid back, with lots of fun games.

Winter War List Review

A great days gaming. three good games and lI earned a lot. Usual format, what worked and what didn’t in my list, and some learning points.

Winter War Tournament Report

Just back from Winter War, where I was trying out a Pure Harlies list (set out in the last post). Shadowseer, 2 Troupe Masters, 5 Troupes in Starweavers, a unit of 5 Skyweavers with Zephir Glaves, and 2 units of 2 with Star Bolas. It was a one day 3 game tournament, but with 46 players it was a big one.

Game 1

Winter War 2017 - List

This Saturday I'm off to Winter War 2017. Put on by a local club, it's easily the biggest one day event in Scotland - 45+ players for 40k this year!

It's only three games though, so very match up dependant.

Harlequins again. Pure Harliesthis time, dropping the Ravagers for another Troupe and Starweaver, and a bunch of Skyweavers.

Blood and Glory List Review

The list I took to Blood and Glory was 

Troupe Master, Fusion Pistol, Caress

Troupe Master, Fusion Pistol, Embrace (I needed 3 points!)

Troupe, 5 Players, 3 Fusion Pistols, 4 Embraces

Troupe, 5 Players, 3 Fusion Pistols, 4 Embraces

Troupe, 5 Players, 2 Fusion Pistols, 4 Embraces

Troupe, 5 Players, 2 Fusion Pistols, 4 Embraces

Solitaire

3 Skyweavers, 2 Glaves

4 Starweavers

Aeldari Spearhead

Farseer Skyrunner, Doom, Executioner.

Ravager, 3 Disintegrators

Ravager, 3 Disintegrators

Ravager, 3 Disintegrators

Harlequins Battalion

Blood and Glory Tournament Report

Back from Blood and Glory. Great tournament. I went 3-2, coming 15th out of 73. There were soft scores in play, so although I only had 18pts from my games, I got another 6 points from 3 "best games" votes (essentially sportsmanship) and 3 from "best army" votes i.e. painting. I was also one of 6 nominated for best army, although I didn't win. Really pleased.

And I loved playing my Harlies.

So usual format, brief battle reports, a list review, and thoughts on how I’ll develope my list as a result.

Harlequins List Development

A bit of an update on my thinking on Harlies, and a look forward to the next couple of months.

Over the next 2 months I’ll be attending 3 large events. In ITC speak they're all GT’s, and 2 of them will be “majors”. This weekend I’m going to the Blood and Glory GT in Darby (think there are around 70 people going), at the beginning of December I’m going to Rapid Fire in Stirling (34 people), and the weekend after that, Heat 3 of the GW GT at Warhammer World (being “allowed” to go to 2 events back to back cost me a holiday to Rome for Mrs Geek and the Geeklets !!). 

Harlequins Review and Tactics

After a bit of a break, I’m back!

I’ve not really had a break from 40k to be honest, just from blogging .... well at least here. I’ve actually been asked to contribute a few articles to Frontline Gamin, and my blogging time was taken up with a review for them. You may have already seen it (it was also posted on BOLS), but if not I include it below for completeness.

Why? Well, I want to do a series of posts on 3 GT’s I’m attending offer the next few months, and the article is “background”.

So, for those who haven’t read it, here it is.

Harlequin List Review

So, a few thoughts on my list and some changes.

The list I took was

Harlequins first tournament

Took my Harlequins to their first tournament at the weekend. It did not go well!

Out of a total of 80 possible points available over the weekend, i got 3, losing all 4 games. To be fair, it was a team tournament, and my list was by far the weakest list in the team, so tended to get "preyed" on, but it was still pretty woeful!

The list I took was

Harlequins for 8th

I'm a bit late with all this 8th edition stuff I know, but I've had my "usual" (OK, it's happened twice!) break from 40k after the LVO and spent the summer getting fit and losing weight (it's all relative!!), before getting bored with that and coming back to 40k.

I've now played 6 games of 8th edition (2 wins against guard, 2 losses against Grey Knights, one win against Dark Angles and a win against an Alpha Legion list with 40 berserkers, so 4-0-2 so far) and I'm beginning to get the hang of it. Llike most people, I'm impressed. It's simple and streamlined, but still sufficiently complex to be entertaining. The only thing I miss are vehicle facings and firing arcs. Firing arcs in particular added more depth to the game, and helped to reign in flyers (which are of course way more powerful in 8th).

But overall, I'm loving it!

Going Second with Genestealer Cult - Planning your Beta Strike

Going first with GSC is relatively straight forward. There are a number of decisions you need to make, but they are limited within the same general purpose – getting of the most effective Alpha strike you possible can. Going second is harder. In fact I suspect the best GSC players will be  those who win consistently, while going second. So, how do you go second and win with GSC – well I wish I knew. To be honest I’ve not been very good at it! So far most of my losses have been when going second